Lost
by BarnCat23
Summary: in a world where the Hunger Games book series never happened, Mia Wood gets picked for the Hunger Games...who will go with her? will they survive? the first book in the 'These Twisted Games' series. Sequel has been Uploaded.
1. Chapter 1

**Lost, Episode 1: My home in District 12**

**My boots catch on an open root and I trip. I catch myself before I fall. I take a deep breath and keep walking, forcing one foot in front of the other. I stop at the tree line that separates forest from District 12. I clear my head of all the thoughts of what happened last year and tighten my grip on the game I shot. I step out into the open and jog up the slight incline to the boundary fence. I slip through the barbed wire and pull my game through behind me. **

**I run up the field and into the homestead of District 12. I sneak behind the first few houses until I reach mine. It's a small cabin leaning against the nearest tree to keep it from collapsing completely. The door nearly falls off when I pull it open. I gently shut it behind me and lay my game on the small table we're lucky to have. It's just two quail but it should feed me and my brother, Rory. He works in the mines. I hunt for our dinner. Together, alone, we make a perfect team. He should be coming home soon, and then we'll eat the quail and sleep. I've gotten used to it being just me and Rory. Our parents died years apart from each other. First, dad in the mines. Like most fathers go. Then, mom for harboring an injured man the Peacekeepers said was a criminal. They said the punishment was death, so they hung her for it. It was just last year, so it still stung when I thought about it. My brother then took on the role of dad and mom, working in the mines to take care of me. **

**I was just a little girl then, I didn't know how to fight for my survival. But now I do, and Rory lets me help take care of things while he's working. "Woof!" I hear a familiar and deep bark coming from behind me. I turn around and see Kay, a wolf looking dog I befriended last year after the Reaping. Her pearly dog eyes stare at me, her head tilts to the side, and her pink tongue fall out her mouth. "Hi, Kay" I say. She runs in and I kneel to greet her. I hug her and pet her and she wags her tale from one side to the other to show her appreciation. I hear the boards creak as the door pulls open and Rory steps inside. "Mia, what have I said about the dog?" he asks, shutting the door. **

"**I'm sorry, Rory. But look at her. She just wants love" I say, standing. Kay sits at my feet and stares at Rory. He can't stay mad at me for long. A smile creeps onto his face. "Fine, she can stay" he says. **

"**Thank you!" I say, wrapping my thin arms around him. He laughs and returns my hug putting his arms around me. He's much taller than I am so his arms are around my shoulders. "I see you got dinner" he says, breaking our hug. He walks around me to the table and pulls out his hunter's knife. He starts cleaning the Quail while I go outside to get firewood from the side of the house. I pick up two or three small logs and drag them inside. I make a fire inside the small stone fireplace dad had built for the tough winters. **

**We ate the quail as we sat at the fire. Kay lay across my lap and I feed her bits of fat from the quail. "How was school?" Rory asks, as I give Kay another chunk of fat. **

"**Good. Everyone keeps talking about the Reaping, guessing who will get picked" I say. **

"**Don't you listen to them, Mia" Rory says, fiercely and quietly. I jump at the anger in his voice and look at him. His face is hard as he watches the flames. Whenever the Hunger Games or The Reaping is mentioned, Rory gets edgy and angry. Because we lost our little brother, Hunter, when he was twelve in the Hunger Games. Rory took it harder than anyone, working more, staying away from home for hours at a time when he wasn't working or going to school. "Sorry" I say, quietly turning back to Kay. I feed her another chunk of fat and she licks her lips after. I pet her head when all the fat is gone and she lays it down on my legs. Rory stands and walks to his mattress in the far left corner of the cabin and lays down facing away from me at the fire. **

**I force my eyes open even though I want nothing more but to just sleep. I sit up and look over to Rory's bed. He's already gone for work in the mines, and I slept in. why didn't he wake me? I sigh and stand up. My bare feet scrap on the wooden floor as I eat some of last night's quail Rory saved while I slip on my worn-leather coat. I pull on my cloth boots and push open the front door. On my way to the school, I walk past the bakery. The boy whose parents own the bakery, Peeta Mellark, walks out of the bakery and joins me on my route to town. "How did it go with Rory?" he asks. **

"**I didn't tell him" I say, suddenly more interested in my feet and how they sound when I walk. **

"**You have to tell him, Mia. You could get picked at the next Reaping" he says. **

"**I know, Peeta. I will. Just…not yet." He nods and we walk the rest of the trip into town in silence. We reach town square and walk to school separately.  
After school, I jog back home alone. I hurry around the back of the house and run behind houses and through backyards and alleys until I reach the boundary fence. I slip through the barbed wire and carefully run down the hill into the forest. School ran late today, so I'll have to hurry if I want to be back in time for dinner. I walk about a mile in and find my bow and arrows I one in a bet at the Seam. Its brown curve slides through my hand as I string an arrow from my quiver.  
The breeze has picked up since I started. It's getting dark, and Rory will be forced to come looking for where I ran off to if I don't get back soon. I look up to the trees, searching for any birds I could snag. I hear a chirp and whirl around, eyes glued to the branches of a tall oak tree. I see him, a bigger-looking bird with blue feathers on a high perch. I pull back my arrow, aiming for him. I let the arrow slip from my finger and it hits the bird. He falls to the ground and it makes a loud thump. I quickly take my arrow from the bird and slide it into my quiver. I pick up the bird by its feet and tie it to my belt. I hurry over fallen trees and under low branches until I make it to the boundary fence. I squeeze through the wire and run around houses. It's almost too dark to see, but my feet have memorized the route.  
I finally make it to the door. Rory stands outside of it, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "I'm sorry" I say. **

"**What were you thinking? You had me worried sick about you" he says. He walks forward and pulls me into his arms. He puts his hands on my shoulders and bends to look me in the eye. "Don't you ever go out so late again, you hear me?" I nod fiercely. "Good." We walk inside and he cleans and cooks the bird. It's not much but its food. As we sit at the fire I try to think of all the ways to tell him, not ruling out anything. "Rory" I say. **

"**Hm?" he shifts his weight so he can face me. "I um…I…I signed up for tesserae" I say, not looking at him. It stays quiet for a minute. "Why?" he asks, low and angry. **

"**We needed it." **

"**Mia, don't you understand what this means?" he asks, swiveling to face me completely. I turn and meet his eyes. "You could…you could get picked, Mia" he says, a sound of helplessness in his voice I've never heard from him. **

"**I know, but what's done is done. Besides I won't get picked anyway." I give him a sly smile and crawl to my bed. I curl up under the blanket with Kay warming my feet. With what's been said I can't keep my mind from wondering to the Reaping in two days. Will I get picked? Will Rory? **_No_**, I think. **_You won't get picked_**. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Lost, Episode 2: Reaping Day**

**I see flashes of last year's Games: The Reaping, The Arena, his death. It all flashes by so fast I can barely make out the images, and the fear that comes with them. But they all stop and a new image fades in their place: a boy from district 7 holding a serrated edge to Hunter's throat. I scream for him to stop but he doesn't hear me. He presses harder, and harder, and harder until he's slit his throat. I wake to a blood curdling scream. I look around the cabin for who screamed, but I realize it was me. I feel wetness on my skin and feel around my eyes. I was crying. I hear a knock on the door of the cabin. The wood is rotten so it makes a hollow thump. "Mia? Mia, are you in there? I heard a scream…are you okay?" I hear Madge's sweet, soft voice and walk to the door. I pull up the latch and open the cabin door. She's wearing her Sunday best: a light blue dress and shiny black shoes. Her hair is pulled back into a bun of braids and ribbons. Her worried look fades to a smooth, calm look. "Hi, Madge." **

"**Are you alright? I came by to see if you could join me on my walk to church, but I heard a scream and came running" she says, fear and curiosity mingling. I don't really want to talk about it—the boy who ruined my life, the spray of blood from Hunter's neck, my screaming to stop yet he could not hear me. "I'm alright. Really. Give me a second and I'll walk with you" I say. I shut the door and drop the latch. Blurry memories of the dream come back and I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head, as if somehow it will get rid of them. I open my eyes and force myself not to think about it.  
I change into my black pants, maroon shirt, and my dark leather jacket. I brush and braid my hair. I slip on my cloth boots and re-open the door. Madge smiles and I walk out, shutting the door behind me. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asks, as we start walking toward town square. "Yes, Madge. I'm sure" I say, trying for a smile. She smiles and laughs a little. She's always like that—giddy and excited about anything and everything. Madge is the Mayor's daughter, so she isn't often seen walking around with people less than her. But the Mayor likes me, he even said once I was a "Valedictorian Student, fit for interaction with Madge." Whatever **_that_** means.  
We walk in silence for two minutes tops before she says something. She hates silence. "For the Reaping, I was just thinking, maybe you'd want to come over and help me pick out my dress? You don't have to…I was just thinking it might make things less hard for you" she says. **

"**I'd love to. It will help me, I'm sure" I say. We pass the Bakery and Peeta comes out to join us. He walks to my left and Madge scoots around me to my right. "Morning girls" Peeta says. **

"**Good Morning, Peeta" Madge says, casually. **

"**Morning" I say, half day dreaming and staring off into space. They start talking but all the noises blur together until I cannot hear them anymore. My vision goes black and fades into a forest.  
**_I'm sitting on a rock looking out at a crystal clear lake. Hunter is sitting to my right, higher up on the rock. The sun half blinds me but I squint and I can see him perfectly. "Why can't we just ditch district twelve and live here? It's so much better" he says. _

"_If we tried to leave, we wouldn't make it five miles, let alone make it here, Hunter" I say. He scoffs and rolls his eyes. "I'd make it five miles…I'd go that way." he points off across the lake. "What about Rory? Mom? What about them, Hunter?" I ask. He shakes his head. "I don't know" he says, quietly. He drops his head and I pull him into a hug. "We'll make it…as long as we're together." _**  
My vision comes back into place and I slowly start to hear them talking. I've stopped, and they're asking me what is wrong. I don't know what's wrong, I really don't. I blink a few times as my hearing comes back fully. "Mia? Hello? Earth to Mia!" Peeta says. Madge covers her eyes and has her head down. "Did I stop?" I ask. Madge's head shoots up and she removes her hands from her eyes. "Yeah, for like a half hour" Peeta says. **

"**It was that long? I…I didn't even feel it" I say. Madge walks forward and hugs me. I brush her off and keep walking. "You'll be late" I say. They slowly follow me and Madge runs to catch up, and then matches my pace. "You're sure you're okay?" she whispers. **

"**No," I whisper. "I'm not sure." We continue on our trek in silence. We make it into town square. Peacekeepers and capital-hired people are already setting up for the Reaping tomorrow. An image of blood spraying from Hunter's neck flashes in my mind and I turn and start walking toward the church. I don't go, but Madge does. So I walk her there. She feels safer that way.  
I drop Madge at the church then Peeta and I walk back to the bakery. I help Peeta with his school work Sunday's and Tuesday's. His mom hired me to tutor him so, as she put it, she wouldn't have another disgrace of a son. I didn't want to argue with her so I just agreed. We walk up the steps into the Bakery. "Hello, Mia" Mr. Mellark says, from behind the counter. He has always been nice to me when I've come over. His mother just tolerates me. "Let's go upstairs" Peeta suggests. I nod and follow him up the creaky stairs and into his room. It's a small room with white walls, barely big enough for a bed. We sit on the bed and he gets his "Panem History" book. "What's this week's lesson?" I ask. **

"**District Two" he says, opening the book, waiting a second, and then closing it. I rotate toward him and cross my legs in front of me. "Why did you stop on the road?" he asks. Flashes of what I saw come back. I see the dream, the day dream, and everything in between. "I just thought of something, I guess" I say, dodging the question. **

"**You know you can tell me anything, Mia."**

"**I know," I nod. "I just don't feel like sharing." He nods and grabs the book again. We study for a few hours. Nothing important is learned. Except that the Capitol is full of itself. Like usual. Peeta and I walk downstairs into the Bakery and I wave to his parents before we walk outside. His dad waved back, his mom scowled. She is a monster of a woman. Evil.  
We walk down the steps outside and start walking toward my house. "I saw Dillon at school yesterday" Peeta says. My heart skips a beat at the sound of his name, but I keep my face plain and clean. "Really? Where'd he go this time?" I ask, sarcastically. "No, wait, let me guess…District one?" **

"**The Capitol, actually. He asked about you" he says, glancing at me. **

"**What did you tell him?"**

"**I said you weren't interested anymore." **

"**Thanks, Peeta. I don't know what I would've done if I had to talk to him…especially with the way he ended things before leaving" I say. I can see it like it was yesterday. We were standing at the train station, I had come to say goodbye. I was so naive back then. I poured my heart out to him confessing my love for him. I gave him my heart, and he gave it right back quite bitterly. He was a jerk. I don't know why I even loved him to begin with. His father is very wealthy and travels a lot through the districts for business, and occasionally he takes Dillon with him. Dillon's father and mother were friends with my father and mother; therefor Dillon, Hunter and I were friends. His family has helped my family more than I can count on one hand, maybe I felt like I owed him. I had forgotten about him, until he got back two days ago. Just in time for the Reaping. "He said he wanted to see you before Reaping Day." **

"**I'll just have to avoid town then…except he knows where I live…so I'll have to sneak in and out of the house." we come to a stop at my door. "See you tomorrow" I say, giving him a confident smile. **

"**You, too" he says. He turns and walks back toward the Bakery. I open the door and walk inside the cabin. **

**Later that night, Rory and I sat at the fire and ate the Sunday game Rory had shot. "Mia?"**

"**What?" I ask, turning to see him. **

"**This is my last year in the Reaping, but you still have a few more years. If either of us gets picked-"**

"**Rory, please don't." **

"**Promise me, if one of us is picked, that we'll fight. That we won't just roll over and die this year."**

"**Rory! Hunter did **_**not**_'Roll over and die'**. He fought the best he could…" his expression hardens as he looks away to the fire. Tears sting my eyes, threatening to get the best of me. But I won't allow myself to be so weak. I won't allow myself to look helpless and broken. I won't allow myself the pleasure of grieving and moving on. I choke my sob down. "You know I'd fight to get back to you. And I know you'd do the same" I say. We fall silent for a long while until I finally say, "I need some air." I stand and walk outside, barefoot into the cold of the night. I shut the creaky, rotten door behind me. I make the mistake of letting that one tear fall, and then the rest of them follow with a vengeance. I think of my last words to Hunter, when we visited him before he went to the train. "Promise me you'll try, Hunter" I'd said. He wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded. I'd pulled him into a hug and his grip was so tight I felt like I couldn't breathe. But I'd dared not let go. I sit on the dry grass in front of the cabin, feet in front of me, crying like crazy. I tighten my fists around clumps of grass until my knuckles go white. I look up through the tears and see a clear night sky. The stars twinkle like millions of blinking lights that never run out of battery. "Why?" I whisper to no one. I sigh and wipe away my tears. A while later I walk back into the cabin and curl up in my bed, dreading the next day. **

**I wake up on my own. I hadn't barley slept. I couldn't, not after the dream yesterday. Today is the Reaping. I draw in a breath and get up. Rory is sitting on his bed tying his shoe laces. I change into my usual maroon Reaping dress. I braid my dark brown hair in two front braids and pull them to the back and pin them. I roll the rest of my hair into a bun on top of the braids and pin it into place. I use a shattered mirror by my bed to see what I've made. **_It'll work_**, I think. **_You won't get picked_**. I take a deep breath and put on my black shoes that I use only for Reaping purposes. I tie the laces. When Rory and I are both ready we start for town. We don't say a word the whole trip. I keep running scenarios of how it's going to go in my head. We finally get to town square and split up to file in with the different girl's and boy's lines. I wait in line for the finger prick. Then after that I'll be in the group of girls and I won't get picked. I take a deep breath as the line advances. I count the number of people in between me and the table. 1, 2…5 spaces left. The line moves swiftly and sooner than I wanted it's my turn. The woman holds out her hand and I give her mine. She pricks my index finger and presses the blood to her paper. "Go ahead" she says. I move into the group of girls and line up in my age category. I search the boy's group for Rory, or maybe Peeta, but I don't see either of them. I spot Madge a row in front of me. She looks behind her, spots me and waves slightly. I half smile and she nods. She turns back toward the stage.  
After all the children are checked in at the tables, and filed into the groups, Effie Trinket—a mentor/liaison from the Capitol—walks to the microphone. Her heels click as she walks. She looks like if the wind blew it'd nock her over. She taps the microphone before beginning. "Welcome, welcome! Now, before we begin, we have a video all the way from the Capitol!" she beams. And the usual video starts playing. It always begins with "War, terrible war…" and shows pictures of burned down buildings and destroyed houses. I don't know why they show it **_**every**_** year. I guess to try and convince the district's tributes of the Capitol's brilliance, or something stupid like that. "Oh, I just love that!" Effie says, after the video has finished. When the crowd is silent, she clears her throat. "As always, ladies first" she says. She walks to the right side of the stage where a glass bowl of names is waiting for her to ruin the lives of a family. She carefully selects a name then walks back to the microphone. She peels open the little envelope and unfolds the name. I hold my breath in the moment of silence before she speaks. "Mid Wood!" she calls into the microphone. All the air leaves my lungs. This can't happen to our family two years in a row. It can't happen to Rory. Oh no, Rory. He'll have to go through the same things this year that he did last. I try not to trip over my own feet as I start to walk out of the crowd.  
I walk up the steps and nearly trip on the last one. I steady myself and walk to Effie by the microphone. I catch sight of Madge in the crowd. Without saying anything through a look, she touches three fingers to her lips then puts them up in the sky. A few seconds later more girls start to do the same, until all the girls have done so. I didn't know they cared at all about me. They've never done it for anyone else before. Effie sighs. They put their hands down then Effie says, "Now for the boys!" she hobbles over to the left side of the stage to retrieve a boy's name. She picks a random envelope and walks back to the microphone. She opens it and unfolds the name. This is it. This is when I find out who I'll have to kill to get home. Who will try and do the same. "Dillon Hartley" she calls. I close my eyes briefly. **_It can't be him_**, I think. **_Anyone but him!_** He makes his way up to the stage and up the steps. Effie ushers him to the microphone. The Mayor reads the Treaty of Treasons.  
We shake hands and are ushered into town hall, where we will be forced to say our final goodbye's to our loved ones.  
I wait in a room by myself. There are a few couches but I stand. Tears itch at my eyes. I don't want to cry, to leave here and my loved ones with a final memory of me and I'm upset in it. The doors open and Rory walks inside, a look of panic and fear in his eyes. I run into his embrace and hold onto him like my life depends on it. "I'll be okay. I'll be fine" I say into his shirt. **

"**I know" he says. We stand there for a few seconds. Then he puts both hands on my shoulders and looks me I the eye. "You can win this, Mia. You can. Promise me you'll fight" he says. He must know deep down I'm not coming home. That this is our last time together just like with Hunter. "Mia, promise me!" he says, shaking me a little. The desperation in his voice for an answer is astounding. I've never heard him sound like this. "I promise" I say, nodding once. He kisses my forehead then hugs me again until the Peacekeepers come and say it's not for him to leave. They pull him out and he shouts, "I love you!"**

"**I love you, too!" I shout back. Then I'm alone again. A few seconds later the door opens again. Peeta walks in and the door shuts behind him. I throw my arms around his neck and hug him. He returns my hug. "I'm gonna miss you" he says. **

"**I'll miss you, too" I say. I choke down my tears and a lump grows in my throat. We pull away and he puts something in my dress pocket. "Madge wanted me to give it to you. She also wanted me to tell you Goodbye for her" he says. **

"**Thanks" I say. The Peacekeepers come and get him out and the doors shut. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Lost, Episode 3: The Parade**

**The Train ride to the Capitol was filled with Luxuries. But it took me away from my home. I don't care for the luxuries of the Train that ruined everything.  
We arrived in the Capitol earlier today. Now we get ready for the Tribute Parade. Cinna, my stylist, has dressed me in my costume and now Dillon and I wait by our chariot. I pet one of the horses and Dillon talks with some of the other tributes. They tried roping me into the conversation a few times, but I stayed out of it. I'm not here to chat. I'm here to do whatever I have too to get home alive. Cinna walks back over to us and calls Dillon over. Dillon stands beside me and Cinna talk in front of us. "It'll look like real fire. But it won't hurt you" he says. All of the tributes get in their chariots and get ready for the cue to go out. Cinna lights our outfits just before it's time to go. "Remember, smile and wave" Cinna says. He smiles and I try to return it. I feel nervous all of the sudden. I don't know why, but I do. It's televised so Rory and everyone back home will see all of it. Maybe that's why.  
The chariots start to go out and the roar of the crowd gets louder with every new chariot. The chariots go in order from one to twelve. So I'm last. But it doesn't make me feel better.  
District 11's chariot goes, and then ours starts moving. We emerge into the open and the crowds scream when they see our outfits. I try to smile and wave and look happy. I feel something touch my hand and look down. Dillon's hand brushed mine and I pull it away. "Come on, they'll love it" he leans in and says. I weigh my options. I try not to look annoyed, when really all I want to do is push Dillon out of the chariot at our fast speed. I let him take my hand and we raise them up. The crowds get even louder and throw flowers out at us. We near the circle.  
I wave at people who wave to me. When enter the circle and our chariot stops abruptly. The suits turn off and I look around and drop Dillon's hand. President Snow steps up to the balcony above and holds out his hands to quiet the crowds. The go silent. "Welcome. Tributes, we welcome you. Happy Hunger Games…and May the odds be ever in your favor" he says. His voice comes like acid in my ears. I can't help the scowl that plays on my lips as I look at him. He makes me sick. The chariots start moving again and stop inside the building. Our chariot stops and I get out. Cinna, Portia, Effie, and Haymitch walk to us. Effie smiles wide and clasps her hands together. "That was amazing! We are **_**all**_** anybody is going to be talking about!" she exclaims. **

"**Are you sure you should be near an open flame?" I ask Haymitch. **

"**Fake flame," he says. "Are you-" he stops short when he looks over my shoulder. I turn and look. Cato and Clove from District 2 glare at us. "Come on. Why don't we talk upstairs?" Haymitch says. We all walk through the building to an elevator. Portia, Dillon, and Effie go fist, since it's too small to fit all of us at once. They go up and a few minutes later the doors open again. Haymitch, Cinna, and I get in and Haymitch presses the 'twelve' button. The doors close and the elevator starts to ascend.  
The doors open on the twelfth floor and we walk out. Effie shows me to my room and I clean up before dinner. I don't even feel hungry but I don't want to be rude to Effie. I wear a purple tunic and black pants. I wear slip-on black shoes. I brush out my hair and wipe away all of the makeup. I pull my hair up into a pony tail and walk to the dining room.  
Effie, Portia, and Cinna sit on the left side of the table. Haymitch Dillon and I sit on the right. We eat Lamb stew and dried plums. It's not the best but I force it down and try to look appreciative. "So tomorrow is training," Haymitch says, helping himself to the liquor. "That means early mornings and battle scars." He chuckles quietly. Effie gives him a look and he clears his throat. "Try not to be too apprehensive at first, Sweetheart. Don't show your real talents until the games. Stay away from things your good at, until the last day of training. Got it?" Haymitch glances at Dillon then to me. "Got it" Dillon says. A nod is my reply. Short and simple. "So, Mia. I hear you can shoot," Haymitch says. "You any good?" **

"**Oh, she's way better than good. When she and my older brother would hunt, Mia hit her target in the eye every time" Dillon says. Haymitch raises his brows and glances at me while Dillon talks. "I'm not that good" I mumble. **

"**Yeah you **_**are**_**" Dillon says. **

"_**No**_** I'm not" I say. Haymitch can't help smiling. "Who told you I them in the **_**eye**_**?" I ask. **

"**Your brother, Hunter" he says. My face goes blank and I remember my dream the night before the Reaping. It flashes in front of my eyes. I look back to my food. The table is silent. "You know he talked about you a lot. He spoke highly of you all the time" Dillon says, softer than he spoke before. I put my napkin on the table and excuse myself from the table. I walk to my room and shut the door behind me. I sit on the end on my bed. I run my hand over the purple silk blanket. I take my hair out of its pony tail and undress. I slide under the blanket in my under wear. A part of me feels anxious for tomorrow. But the other half feels excited. Excited to finally learn the things I need to help me in the Games. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Lost, Episode 4: Training and Scores**

**The first day of training. I dress in the training clothes provided—black pants, brown ankle high boots, and a black shirt with my district number on the back. Breakfast is quiet, except for Haymitch giving us pointers on how to act and who to and not to talk to. "The Career tributes are going to be scouting for another to join them. Don't purposely show of, or pick a fight with someone. Don't show your true skills until the last day when they evaluate you and score you" Haymitch says, spreading jam on his toast. **

"**What is the number one thing we absolutely have to know to survive in the Arena?" Dillon asks. Haymitch pauses, thoughtful. He points his knife at Dillon. "How to kill someone" he finally says. Effie rolls her eyes. "Well, obviously. But what about survival skills. Like hunting and finding water?" Dillon asks. **

"**Look for moss and soft dirt. They'll show you where the water is" I blurt. I take a sip of juice so I won't blurt out anymore secrets. Haymitch smiles and jabs his knife in my direction a few times. "**_**She**_** knows how to survive. Better watch out" he says, chuckling. Dillon is looking at me when I glance up at him. I shrug and look back down at my pancakes. **

**After breakfast, we're escorted to the training facility. Dillon and I walk in and I see the huge inside of the gym. There are sectioned areas for archery, knot tying, basic survival skills, and many obstacle courses. There's also knife throwing stations, spear throwing stations. Basically every weapon you could ever think of has a station.  
At first the tributes are called to a woman standing in the middle of the room. Dillon and I join the group of tributes. "Welcome to the training gym," she says. "There will be no fighting with the other Tributes—there will be plenty of time for that in the arena. And how long you have in the arena will depend on how well you listen to the survival skills over the next four days. Choose a station and form orderly lines" she says. My first instinct is to go to the archery station. I break off and go to the knot tying station. It may come in handy in the Arena. I don't know exactly where but I know it will. The teacher there helps me learn to tie a Monkey Knot.  
Then I move to Snares and Traps. I know most of this stuff already, but it's good to familiarize myself with what the Capitol offers. The whole time I observe the other tributes. Glimmer, from District 1, keeps close to the archery station. Cato, District 2, seems to be leading his own group of tributes. I secretly wonder how they'll decide which one of them wins in the end. Marvel's skills lay with the spear. Clove, District 2, throws knives with better accuracy than I can when I shoot an arrow. Rue, District 11, pops in and out of sight. It's obvious she's one of the youngest here. She looks like Hunter when he was that age.  
I walk to the various stations until lunch time. In the lunch room I sit at a table alone in the corner. Alone is how I like it. Dillon glances at me several times throughout lunch from his table. He sits with several other tributes from various districts. I envy his ability to just walk up to strangers who might kill him later and shake their hand and be friendly.  
After lunch is over we all go back to training. Everyone lines up in district order and take turns on an obstacle course. The obstacle course consists of monkey bars, a spider web, and a few tall pillars we have to jump from one to the next on. Several fall through the gaps in between the pillars. When it's finally my turn, they start the timer to record my personal best and I remember what Haymitch said, **"Don't show them your full potential until the last day."** I run through the course. Swiftly moving from one bar to the next, able to carry my own wait on the monkey bars. I drop off the monkey bars then run to climb the spider web up to the first pillar. I start climbing up. It moves from side to side with my weight but I fight to keep a steady pace. I climb onto the first pillar and jump to the next. I land, steady myself, and then swiftly move to the next. I do the same with the next three then purposely miss the next to last one. I land on my knees. I stand and walk off the mat. That wasn't as embarrassing as I thought it would be.  
Dillon takes his turn on the course. He falls off at the spider web and lands on his back. I stop and watch. Cato, Clove, and Glimmer laugh at him. I walk around the course and kneel beside him. "You see that ball over there?" I ask, nodding in the direction of a rack of giant spiked balls with handles. He gets up on his elbows and looks where I nodded. "Yeah..?" he says, looking back at me. I look him in the eye. "Throw it" I say. **

"**But Haymitch said-"**

"**Trust me…throw it" I say. I stand and walk away. I walk to the snare station and I turn back to watch. Dillon stands and walks to the rack. He picks up a ball and Cato and his posse go silent, watching what he's going to do with it. Dillon throws the ball hard at another rack across the room, and it hits it sending spears over the floor. Cato and his posse straighten their faces and disperse to different stations. I continue at the snare station. Learning different techniques on how to set one.  
Then I move to the spear throwing station. My arm isn't that good with spears. They feel too light in my hands, so I move on to the self-defense station. The rest of my time is spent there until training is over. Dillon and I are escorted back to the elevators. The doors open and we step in. I press the twelfth floor button and they close. "I'm sorry about what I said at dinner last night" Dillon says, breaking the silence. **

"**It's fine" I say. **

"**Thanks for the advice earlier…with the Careers." **

"**You're welcome" I say. The doors open and I walk to my room. I dress in a yellow tunic, black pants, and black shoes. I walk to the dining room and I'm one of the first ones to get there. Effie, Portia, and I are the only ones there so far. I sit across from Portia. "How was your first day of training?" Portia asks. **

"**Good" I say. Haymitch and Cinna come into the dining room. Cinna sits next to me and Haymitch sits at the head of the table. "How was training, Sweetheart?" Haymitch asks, sitting down. **

"**Fine" I say. **

"**How did Dillon do?" he asks. **

"**Fine." **

"**Only because you helped me" Dillon says, sitting next to Portia. **

"**You did fine on your own" I say. Haymitch glances between Dillon and I. I think he can tell we have a history. But he just hasn't figured out what. And he never will if I can help It. "So what's the history with you two?" Haymitch asks. **_**Can he read my mind?**_** "Our families are close friends" Dillon says. **

"**Really, you don't say" he says. I look at Cinna and he looks at me. I give him my best **_**Help Me**_** look. "So, Dillon what does your father do?" Cinna asks, changing the subject. **

"**He works for the President…he's never actually told me exactly what he does for him, but it's important" Dillon replies. We eat fire-roasted pheasant, chickpeas, and corn on the cob for dinner. I stay out of conversations and quietly escape to my room after I'm done. **

**The next day is the same thing. **_**training, lunch, more training, dinner, sleep**_**. The day after that is the last day of training. I can finally do what I know. I still have to lye low, but I can branch out a little. Or at least that's what Haymitch says during breakfast. After breakfast we're escorted to training. I make a B line for the archery station. I pick up the silver bow and feel it's weight in my hands. I pick and arrow and notch it on the string. I pull back on the bow. It's harder and aims differently than mine at home. I readjust my aim and the arrow hits just to the right of the red. I mentally take a note and change my aim on the next arrow. The arrow hits the red, square in the middle. I notch another arrow and fire again. It slices the arrow down the middle on the target. I notch another arrow then turn my back to the target. And that's when I see Cato and Glimmer watching me. I close my eyes. **_**You want a show? I'll give you a show**_**. I open them and a second later, turn and aim at the same time, letting go just after turning. The arrow hits the red in the middle, just to the side of the other arrows. I do it again, and again, and again, and again, until Cato and Glimmer stop watching. I put the bow back and the tributes break for lunch. I walk into the lunch room and Dillon stands up from his seat with two other tributes. "Hey Mia, come sit with us" he says. I get my lunch then walk to their table. I sit next to Dillon and far away from the other two boys. "This is Mia guys. Mia this is Troy from District nine, and John from District eight" Dillon says. I look at the boys and try to smile. "Hi" I say. **

"**I saw you with the bow. You're good" John says. He's a shorter, stalky person. He has the same type of black hair Dillon has. "Thanks. I think I saw you with the knives" I say. He nods. "Yep that's me. the knife guy." he laughs. "Dillon was just saying about how you did him a solid the day before yesterday. You know, most tributes from the same district don't help each other like that? I thought it was cool" Troy says. He has red, fiery hair, and freckles to match. He's tall and thin. Not like John at all. I nod trying to look interested.  
after lunch it's back to training. I try to cover all of my bases. Tomorrow we're all scored. I need to step up my game. Tributes with good scores get good sponsors, good sponsor help you win the games, and winning the games helps you get home. And I want to get home.  
after training, Dillon and I are escorted back to the elevators and we ride it up to our floor. That night at dinner, Haymitch tells us what we need to work on to get good scores. "Do something spontaneous…something that says, "I'm gonna win this thing". something no other tribute thought to do and if they did you do it better" he says. I nod, soaking it all up like a sponge in the bath. "I hope you have paid attention in training, Sweetheart" Haymitch says, glancing at me. I ignore that comment and finish my dinner. I go to bed that night tossing and turning, unable to sleep. I force my eye lids to shut and somehow I drifted off to sleep. **

**I wake up and quickly shower and get dressed in my training clothes. I meet Effie and Haymitch at breakfast. I sit beside Effie on the left side. Dillon walks into the dining room and sits next to Haymitch across from me. I have a hard time eating anything. I try not to think about the scoring and stuff a piece of toast down my throat.  
I try hard to keep it down as we enter the hallway to the gym. The other tributes are lined up, waiting for their turn. Dillon and I get in line.  
it's several hours later that it comes even remotely close to being my turn. I pace along with a few other tributes. John, Troy, and Dillon all talk while they wait. About what, I don't know.  
a few more tributes go in and out. Then it's John's turn so he leaves to the gym. John leaves the hallway and then the girl from nine walks into the gym.  
then Troy walks into the gym after she leaves the hallway. The two from ten wait by the door. Anticipating him to be done quickly. Troy walks out and leaves the hallway and the girl from ten walks inside the gym. A computer voice calls out the names and District numbers. It sounds so real it scares me. after the two from ten are gone, the two from eleven start their trade off.  
then I jump out of my skin when I hear the computer call my name and number. I swallow hard and start for the door. "Hey, Mia," I stop and look back at Dillon sitting on the bench. He grins. "Shoot straight." I turn back toward the door and walk inside the gym. The gym is eerie quiet as I walk to the center. "Mia wood…" all of the Capitol observers look at me and stop drinking for a moment. "…District twelve." I pick up the bow and notch an arrow in my bow. I do an extravagant display of my archery talents. After I shoot the last arrow, I turn back to the judges. They all laugh, Half-drunk as they party. An Avox delivers a roast pig with an apple in its mouth. Anger boils over inside me. Seneca Crane, this year's Gamemaker, picks up the apple. I see my chance and I notch and arrow in my bow. I aim and send the arrow into the apple. The apple gets pinned to the wall behind them. They all get quiet and turn to me. my anger shows on my face, I know it. I bow. "Thank you…for your consideration" I say. I put the bow back and walk out of the gym. **

"**What were you thinking, Mia? This reflects badly on all of us, not just you!" Effie shouts, angrily. **

"**I'm sorry, I just got mad" I say. **

"**Mad?" she asks, raising her voice. **

"**It was just an apple" Cinna says. **

"**How about it's just bad manners, Cinna? How about that?!" Effie asks. I hear footsteps and look up in time to see Haymitch walk in and come to the couch holding a thumb up. "That was perfect, Sweetheart," he says. "What was it you said? Thank you-"**

"**For your consideration" I finish. He laughs.  
everyone sits down, Dillon the only one to my left, Cinna and Haymitch to my right. Effie and Portia sit on another couch to the right. Nerves swirl in my stomach as Caesar Flickerman gives the scores in District order. I pull my feet up onto the couch and pull my knees to my chest. I've never felt so nervous in my entire life. Never. This score could make or break the Games for me. Hunter got a seven when he was given scores. Or at least that's what Cinna told me. "Dillon Hartley, District Twelve. An Eight," Caesar says. I can't look at the screen. I bite my lip and I taste blood. "Excellent, Dillon!" Effie says. We all fall silent. My turn. "Mia Wood, District twelve…Eleven" Caesar says, shocked with my score. My eyes go wide and I hear gasps from around the room. I look up at the screen. The projector shuts off. "I thought they hated me" I say. **

"**I guess they liked your guts" Haymitch says. **

"**Congratulations, Mia" Cinna says. I can't help smiling. I achieved the score I was looking for. I didn't expect to get that high of a score…I guess they like what I said. Everyone except Dillon and I stand and raise their glasses. "To Mia Wood, the Girl on Fire" Cinna says. They toast their glasses and drink. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Lost, Episode 5: The Interviews **

**My stylists fix my hair and makeup while they talk about anything and everything. I stay quiet hoping they'll stop talking but it doesn't work. Octavious pins up my hair in an intricate design of braids and a little red glitter. Flavious paints my nails with little flames on them. "What do you think?" Flavious asks, holding up my hand so I can see it. **

"**They're beautiful, Flavious. Thank you" I say.  
Cinna helps me get into my dress without ruining my hair. It's a red dress that goes straight down and hugs my curves. It has a sparkly mesh all around the outside of the fabric. It flares out at the bottom and has only one sleeve on my right shoulder. "It's wonderful, Cinna," I say, looking over every inch of it on me in the standing mirror. "I love it." **

"**Good, you look beautiful" he says. I turn around to face him. "What am I supposed to say? How am I supposed to act? I don't know if I can do this, Cinna" I say. He puts reassuring hands on my shoulders. "Just be yourself. Answer the questions with a smile" he says. **

"**I'm not good at being myself." **

"**If you get nervous just look at me. I'll be right out there in the audience. There's nothing to worry about, Mia" he says. I nod and try to swallow the lump growing in my throat. I hate wearing these heels. Sure they look great. But they aren't great for walking in.  
Cinna, Effie and I meet Haymitch, Portia, and Dillon in the waiting area backstage. Dillon's wearing a tux to match my dress and his black hair is combed back. My skin crawls because I can feel him looking at me. "If you guys get nervous, picture the audience naked," Haymitch says. I give him a look and he smiles. "It works every time." I roll my eyes and look at the line of tributes all in their dresses and tuxes waiting for their chance to be on TV. It makes me sick, how fame hungry they are. Surely they must know why people want to see them. So they can bet on who will win, and find out who they'll sponsor to help their favorite win. "Alright, time to get in line" Haymitch says. **

"**Remember, Mia, just find me in the crowd" Cinna says. I nod and he gives me a reassuring smile. Dillon and I get in line with the other tributes and wait our turn. It's an hour or so before it's my turn. I stand waiting for the queue to walk out on the stage. "Now for the one you've all been waiting for…Mia Wood, The Girl on Fire!" the crowds scream and I'm nudged onto the stage. The lights blind me as I walk to the chairs. I try to smile wide and look happy. Caesar smiles and we sit down, him in another chair across from mine. I put my hand in my lap as Caesar calms the crowd to speak. "So, Mia, how do you like the Capitol?" Caesar asks. "Is it better than you expected?" I smile. "Oh, yes. Much better" I say. The audience claps. "Excellent. Your name sounds very familiar to me" Caesar says. My heart skips a beat and my breath catches. I was doing alright…until he mentioned my name. "My…my younger brother was here before" I say. **

"**Oh, that's right. What was his name? Hunter, that's what it was. I'm sorry for your loss. But now you get to win in his place, right?" Caesar says, glancing out at the audience. I nod and try for another smile. The crowd claps loudly.  
"I have something to show you," I say. "Would you like to see?" Caesar looks at the audience. "What do you think?" he asks them. They cheer and scream. I stand and walk to center stage. I find Cinna in the crowd. He looks at me confidently and nods. I nod in return and start spinning. The bottom of my dress starts on fire and the crowd gasps then cheers. I spin for another minute then stop. Half dizzy I sit down and Caesar follows. "Wow, now that…that was really something. Thank you for that. Now, Mia, do you have any family back home?" he asks. **

"**Yes, an older brother" I say, smiling. **

"**Well, I can guarantee you he is proud of you. Ladies and gentlemen, Mia Wood, the Girl on Fire!" Caesar stands, taking me with him, and raises my hand high in the air. The audience stands and cheers, clapping and screaming. I smile, turn, and walk backstage. Effie, Haymitch, and Cinna walk to me. Effie blooms with excitement. "That was perfect, Mia!" she says. I hear Caesar's voice and turn to the right. There are screens along the wall showing what the world sees on stage. Dillon is sitting with Caesar now.  
"So, Dillon, being a handsome man like yourself, you must have a girlfriend" Caesar asks. **

"**Uh, no" Dillon says. **

"**You must have someone" Caesar pushes. **

"**Well…there is this one girl I've had a crush on for a while," Dillon says. Something twists in my chest. Maybe it's Jealousy. **_**Why should I be jealous?**_** "But she doesn't like me." **

"**If you win the Games then I **_**guarantee**_** you she'll go out with you" Caesar says, a smile across his lips. Dillon chuckles. "Winning's not gonna help me" he says. **

"**Well, why not?" **

"**Because…she came here with me." my eyes go wide then narrow in anger. The crowd sighs sympathetically. "That's unfortunate" Caesar says. Dillon nods. They stand. "Dillon Hartley, Everyone!" Caesar says. When Dillon comes backstage, I walk to him and throw him against the wall, pinning him by his neck. "First you reject me and now you say you have a crush on me? Is that how you wanna play? Huh?" I hiss. Haymitch pulls me off and holds me back. "Let's go, right now!" **

"**Mia, stop it" Haymitch says. **

"**He made me look weak!"**

"**He made you look desirable. Which, in your case, can't hurt Sweetheart." **

"**He's right, Mia" Cinna says. **

"**Now, I can sell the **Star Crossed Lovers** from District twelve," Haymitch says. **

"**We are **_not_** Star Crossed Lovers" I say. **

"**It's a television show! And the more helpless the situation, the more sponsors you get." I let out an angry sigh and Cinna leads me to the elevators. We ride the elevators in silence. I ball my fists and my knuckles turn white in a matter of minutes. The doors open and I march straight to my room. I undress and take a long hot shower. I turn on the water and step under it. Of all the times he could have said he had a crush on me, he chose the interview to do it. I turn off the water and dry off. I put on a green silk nightgown and eat dinner in my room alone. Alone. How I like it. After I eat an Avox comes and collects the dishes then leaves. I get under the covers on my bed and try closing my eyes. I try but they won't close. I toss and turn to different sides and positions but I can't sleep. I get out of bed and put on a black robe and slippers. I walk out of my room and down the hallway.  
I walk down the stairs into the living room and see Dillon sitting on the window ceil. His legs are pulled up loosely to his chest and his arms rest on his knees. I walk around the couches to the window and walk past him to the open spot on the window ceil. "Can't sleep either?" I ask. I sit on the window ceil and pull my legs up on with me. Dillon looks at me and shakes his head. "I'm sorry…about before" I say. **

"**You know I meant that as a compliment, right?" he says, his lips pulling into a grin. I look down at my knees, blushing. I look out the window and see the tall buildings of the Capitol. "It would be beautiful, if they weren't sentencing us to death" I say, quietly. **

"**Yeah…I just wish…I keep thinking of a way to show them that they don't own me"-we glance at each other at the same time-"I'm not a piece in their game. If I'm gonna die…I wanna still be Me." it's quiet for a minute. "Does that make any sense?" he looks at me and I nod. "Yeah, it does" I say. He turns and stands up. "I'll see you tomorrow" he says. **

"**See you tomorrow" I say. He walks up the stairs into the hallway, leaving me alone in the living room. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Lost, Episode 6: Let the Games Begin**

**I Wake up and swing my legs out of the blanket. My mind stops me from moving anymore. Today I go into the Hunger Games and risk everything for a chance to get home. Today is when I could die and leave Rory alone forever. A shiver runs down my spine. i stand up on shaky legs and my prep team walks in my bedroom. "Time to work on your makeup!" Flavious says. They're always so happy, it nauseates me. They wash and braid my hair so it falls off my right shoulder. Flavious works on my makeup, putting on a light shade of everything so I don't look like I just woke but I don't look like a complete freak.  
They finish with my hair and makeup then leave the room. I dress in army green cargo pants, dark brown ankle high boots, and a black t-shirt that hugs my curves.  
I walk into the dining room and see Effie on one side by herself and Haymitch and Dillon sitting on the other. They're discussing what to do in the Arena. My appearance doesn't stop them from going back and forth. I take a seat beside Effie. "-Don't run to the Cornucopia, run and get as far away as you can," Haymitch says. "Find water and shelter next." I force myself to eat until I'm full and feel like I might retch from eating too much.  
"Any last advice?" I ask Haymitch. He looks up from his plate. He leans back in his chair, thinking. He sits forward again. "Yeah…stay alive" he says. **

**After breakfast, Haymitch, Dillon, and I walk to where we will board the aircraft to the Arena. Haymitch grabs my arm and stops me before I go. "What?" I ask. **

"**Fight in there, Mia. The Arena is a deadly place if you're not careful" he says. **

"**Just because I won't kill someone unless necessary, doesn't mean I won't fight until my last breath to make it home." Haymitch smiles. "Good girl. Go get 'em, Sweetheart" he says. I nod and walk across the pavement and climb up the ladder into the aircraft.  
Once all of the tributes are securely seated, a woman goes around injecting something into our right arms. When she gets to me I ask, "What is that?" she sticks it into my arm and I wince. "Your tracker" she says blandly. Once she's injected a tracker into everyone she disappears. The light leaves the room and I hear a low rumble. Then bright fluorescent lights turn on and I know we're flying to the Arena. My stomach twists. **

**We land and the tributes, one by one, are escorted off the aircraft. I'm last. I'm lead by Peacekeepers to a room. They open the door and I walk in, then they shut me in. Cinna stands, waiting, by a rack with a jacket hanging on it. I walk to him and stand a few feet away. He takes the jacket from the rack and holds it out. I put my arms in the sleeve and heft the jacket up on my shoulders. I turn and face Cinna. He fixes my jacket and zips up the inner lining. Then he zips the front zipper. He casual adjusts the collar, showing me the Mockingjay pin Peeta slipped into my Reaping dress. "Thank you" I whisper. He holds a finger to his lips and continues to straighten my jacket. "Thirty seconds until launch" a computer voice echoes in the small, empty room. Cinna stops, a hand on both shoulders, commanding my attention. "I'm not allowed to bet, but if I could, I'd bet on you" he says. "Ten seconds" the computer reminds. I turn and walk into the tube. The door zips shut and I feel very claustrophobic. I turn around and Cinna nods reassuringly. Suddenly everything is moving. I'm going into the Arena. This is it.  
I squint until my eyes adjust to the bright sunlight. A loud, annoying noise comes from the Cornucopia straight ahead. My platform stops moving and I look on either side of me. I look down the line of tributes on either side. The sixty-second-count-down starts. I brace myself for what I have to do. My eyes scan the cornucopia. They stop on a silver bow and a sheath of matching arrow perched against a box right in front. They're bating me, taunting me, daring me to go in after it. My heart says to run after it, but my head says to run away. We near thirty seconds. I have to decide now. I look down the line and see Dillon shake his head at me. He knows I'm eyeing the bow and arrows. I look back at the cornucopia and ready myself to run after it. I get into position. The countdown gets to one and everyone sprints past in a blur. I run as fast as I can to the cornucopia. I slide on my knees, grab the bow and arrows and find an open spot in the blood bath happening around me.  
I run for the opening. I grab a back pack on my way and almost make it to the platforms. My feet tangle and I hit the ground face first. I turn on my side and look behind me. Clove. She readies another knife. I don't have time to grab the bow. I stand, limping, I run into the trees as fast as I can. My heart pounds in my chest and I hear a rushing sound in both ears. A blur comes out of the bushes and we collide. I get up on my feet as she does. Foxface. We look into each other's eyes. We both silently agree to leave each other alone. I turn and run and so does she. I run through the bushes and trees and then my feet go out from underneath me and I tumble down a ravine. I hit the bottom. My left ankle stings and my face feel like I have cuts there too. But I stand and force myself to move through the pain. I tighten my grip on the backpack.  
I hear my heart pounding in my ears. I hear a twig snap and break into a run to the left. I stop when I can't hear anything but nature. Thank god it's a forest this year. I know how to live in this. I let the wind brush my face for a minute then pick up the pace. I have to find water. I look for signs of it. I can't find moss, even the Spanish moss that usually grows in trees. My throat burns from running and my breath is quick. I'm dehydrated. I won't last long without water. I need to find it. I can't go without it for more than three days. I keep walking. I try to remember how to tell which way is north and head in that direction. **

**It feels like I've been walking for only a few minutes, but it's getting almost too dark to see. I find a sturdy oak tree and climb up on small hand holds. I swing my leg over the first branch. Its sturdy but I need to be higher. I climb up one, two more branches then settle on the third. I take a shaky breath then pull the cloth on my ankle back. It's not deep at all, but it still could get infected. I rip the bottom hem of my pants and wrap it tight around the cut on my ankle. I tie it off and lean back against the tree. I should've listened to Haymitch. And I should've paid more attention to Dillon's head shake. He was telling me not to go because he knew that would happen. This is stupid coming from me, but I hope he didn't die in the blood bath. Or get killed just after. I sigh and take off my back pack. I search through it and find a tarp, rope, a piece of metal, an empty canteen, water purification tablets, and matches. I put everything but the rope back inside and put the pack back on my shoulders. I tie myself to the tree branch just in case. I'm not the type to take chances like that. I could die falling this high, and I don't want to ruin my name, and be called the only person ever to die by falling out of a tree in The Hunger Games. It's completely dark now. I look up to see an empty sky.  
Then the Capitol insignia floats in the sky and the anthem plays. Pictures of the fallen tributes float in the sky. I count ten. The two from 7, the boy from 9, both from 10, both from 5 and 6, and the boy from 4. I hear a scream and a cannon boom. Then another picture shows in the sky. The girl from 4. I close my eyes and rest my head on the tree. **

**In the morning, I untie myself and roll up the rope. I put it in my pack and climb down from the tree. It feels good to be on the ground again. I look around and stay silent to listen. I hear voices and I run in the opposite direction. I sprint through the forest, heart racing and blood rushing in my ears. I stop once I've put a few miles in between us. I slow to a fast walk but keep moving. Adrenaline keeps me moving. My throat burns worse than yesterday. swallowing doesn't help. It's only day two, I can't stop now.  
I continue on my search for water, seeking moist soil or moss. Either could point me in the right direction of a pond or a stream.  
I pant as I walk, my lungs tired from running. My mind wonders to Rory and if he's watching. Surely he is. I hope he knows I'm gonna fight to live for him. He must know that. He has to…. After what seems like hours, I take a rest on a small stump covered in moss. **_**Wait a second…moss. Moss!**_** I stand up and smell the air. A sweet scent fills my nose. **Pond Lilies**. I follow my nose straight ahead through tall brush. I move the branches of small trees and parts of tall shrubs away so I can see where I'm going. Then my feet fall out from underneath me and I'm swallowed by water. Water goes up my nose and down my throat. I surface gasping and coughing. I wipe the water out of my eyes and stand up. It's only waist deep water. I push through the water to a small bank on the other side. I walk out of the water and sit down. I take my soaked pack off and take out the canteen. I fill it with water and drop a water purification tablet inside. I wait the hour it takes to purify the water then gulp it all down. I fill it again and drop in a water purification tablet. While it purifies, I hide my pack in mud and branches. I duck into the tree to find a decent tree to sleep in tonight.  
I find a sturdy tree a few minutes in and head back to the water.  
I find my pack and pull it out of the weeds. By that time the water is ready and I sip it as I walk to the tree. I close the canteen lid and slip it into my pack. I begin the climb up the tree as it starts to get dark. I find a thick branch two branches up and settle in, tying myself to the branch with rope. I flip up my hood and try to close my eyes. My eyelids feel heavier than I thought they would. I quickly fall into a state in between fully aware and fully asleep. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Lost, Episode 7: The Fire and Careers**

**I smell a thick, foul smell and open my eyes. The air is clouded with smoke. I look to the right and see the trees are on fire. I quickly untie myself and drop from the tree. I land on my feet and start running. Burning branches fall beside me and I jump to the left but keep running. Then a tree falls in front of me and I skid to a stop. I look from another way. I run to the left away from the tree. I just barley miss getting hit with a ball of fire and instead it hits a tree to the right. I duck as another flies my way. It bursts into the tree next to me. I run around a few trees then another comes at me and I turn to dodge it. It flies past me, but the force nocks me into a tree. I feel a searing pain in my right leg. I look down and see red and black skin peeling off and bloody. I cough from the smoke. A fire ball comes straight at me and I roll forward just barely missing it. I stand and keep running. Then suddenly I'm out of the fire's reach and I don't smell smoke anymore, like it just turned off.  
I slow to a walk and limp on my burning leg. Every second it feels worse, burning away more flesh. I cough the smoke from my lungs in deep, raspy breaths. I find a small pond nestled in between several big rocks. They make a natural path into the water. I walk down into the water and a cool feeling rushes through my leg where the burn is. I sigh in relief and lay into the water.  
I hear voices and look up to see the Career Tributes walking by. Then someone points at me and they start my way. **_**Run you idiot, run!**_** I stand and run out of the water. I run as fast as I can and climb the first oak tree I come to. I've never climbed so fast in my entire life. I get up to a fork and swing my left leg over the branch. I lean into the tree to keep my balance as the Careers run into sight just under the tree. They talk amongst themselves, debating on who will kill me. I look down at them in disgust. I see Dillon is with them. I'm half glad he's not dead, but I'm half angry he joined them. Cato turns and looks up at me. "How's it going down there?" I shout. **

"**Pretty good, how's it up there?" Cato shouts back. **

"**Good, a bit breezy though" I say, full of attitude and sarcasm. Glimmer rolls her eyes and gets an arrow out of her quiver. She notches it in her bow and aims it at me. At the last second, the arrow barreling up at me, I duck close to the tree. It skins my left hand, leaving a small pink cut along the bottom of my thumb. They talk again and Cato gets an arrow from Glimmer's quiver and takes the bow from her hands. "Kill her Cato" Glimmer says, as he aims for me. he let's go and the arrow flies past me. "Why don't you throw the sword?" I shout. I hear a few confused **_**What**_**'s. then I hear Dillon's voice say, "Why don't we just wait her out?" when they don't reply he says, "she has to come down some time. It's either that or starve to death." I look down and Cato considers it. "Alright. We'll make camp here" Cato says. The Careers split up but Dillon stays there until they're all gone. He looks up at me and I glare at him with my best disappointment-scowl. I see something different in his eyes. I can't tell what it is, but it makes my face soften for a second. Then I turn back to the tree and I hear him walk away.  
later that night, I sit in the tree and listen to them talking and laughing about who they've killed around their fire. I move the fabric around my burn and take a closer look at it. It's black and crispy around the edges and red with blisters in the middle. I put my shirt collar in my mouth and use my sleeve to wipe away any dirt in it. Tears sting my eyes and I fight to urge to scream. I stop and spit the collar from my mouth. I hear a faint beeping and look around. I don't see anything. Then the beeping gets louder until I hear a rustle in the branches above me and look up to see a silver parachute entangled in the branches. I untie my rope and crawl up onto the next branch. I reach out and grab the parachute, dragging the silver box behind it. I step back down onto my branch and tie the rope around my legs near my waist. I twist open the lid and inside the silver box is another smaller tin container shaped like a circle. A piece of paper sits on top of it. I pull it close to my eyes so I can read it in the dark. It says, **_Stay Alive –H_**. I take out the small circular container and open it. It's filled with a cream colored ointment. I scoop some out with my index finger and slowly put it on my burn. I wince at the sting but then it fades away and the burn feels cool. I sigh in relief and lay back against the tree. **_**Thank you**_**, I mouth before falling asleep. **

_Psst!_** I wake to a hissing noise, and my eyes scan everything looking for where the noise came from. Then they stop on a form in the tree next to mine. I squint and look harder. It's a little girl. She has dark skin and black curly hair. It's Rue from District 11. She points above me in the tree and my eyes follow. On a branch is a hive of **_**TrackerJackers**_**, a Capitol-engineered wasp-highbred whose sting causes severe hallucinations. In some cases people have died from too many stings. We learned about them in school, but I've never actually seen them. They fly around their hive leisurely. I look back to Rue. She makes a sawing motion with her left hand and points again at the **_**TrackerJackers**_**. I pull my knife out of my pack and slowly inch up the tree so I don't wake the sleeping Careers below. I inch out on the branch that the hive is hanging from until I'm only a foot or so from it. I start cutting the branch a few inches from the hive. The noise disturbs them and they start flying around me. I feel a pinch on my neck and I know one has stung me. another stings my hand and wrist. The branch falters and cracks. It breaks and falls down, breaking on the ground. They start swarming the Careers below and they wake up screaming. They run away, taking the deadly wasps with them. I drop down from the tree feeling dizzy. **

**I wake up by a fallen tree covered in moss. I sit up and feel a moment of dizziness. Leaves are wrapped around my **_**TrackerJacker**_** stings on my neck and hands. I see the silver bow and sheath of arrows leaning against the tree in front of me. I reach out and grab the arrows. I slip my fingers through them and I get a flash of Glimmer's body, mutilated from the sings all over her body, lying dead on the ground and I pick up her bow and arrows, then it's gone. I hear a rustle in the bushes and look in their direction. I see something move behind a tree. **_**Rue**_**.  
I stand and walk to the tree. "Rue? Rue, it's okay, I won't hurt you" I say. She slowly peers out from behind the tree and looks up at me. "You won't?" she asks. **

"**Of course I won't, you saved me" I say, holding up my wrist covered in leaves. A smile creeps onto her lips and she steps out from behind the tree. "You hungry? I can go hunt" I say. She nods and follows me to the fallen tree where the bow and arrows lye. I pick up the bow and shoulder the sheath of arrows. "I'll be back with dinner." **

**We sit by the small fire Rye built while I roast the squirrel I shot on a stick. "How long was I out?" I ask. Rue sits next to me quietly. "Three days" she says. **

"**Did anyone die while I was out?" I ask. **

"**The girl and boy from four" she says. **

"**And the boy from my district?" I ask. **

"**He's okay," she says, smiling. **

"**Why are you smiling?" I ask, a smile breaking my straight face. **

"_**You **_**and **_**him**_**" she says. She giggles and it makes me laugh. I pull the roasted squirrel off the fire and tear a leg off. I hold it out to Rue and she glances from me to the leg and back again. "All for me?" she asks. I nod and she takes it slowly. I tear another leg off for myself and we eat. Rue finishes hers first. I get full on just half a leg so I offer the rest of mine to her. "Here, want mine?" I ask. She takes it and munches on it. "Did you see where the Careers went?" I ask. **

"**They're at the cornucopia. They have a huge stockpile of food" she says. **

"**Really? That sounds tempting" I say. She looks at me like she knows what I'm thinking. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Lost, Episode 8: The Loss of Rue and the finding of a friend **

**Rue and I walk to a spot empty of trees several yards from the Cornucopia. We follow the brilliant plan we've come up with and build three piles of sticks all feet from each other. "So light this one then start the next" I say. Rue nods as she puts another branch on the pile. "These leaves will smoke a lot so make sure you hurry when lighting them" I say. **

"**How will we find each other again?" she asks. I hadn't thought of that part of the plan. Her eyes drift to my pin. "The Mockingjays" she says. When she sees I don't understand she says, "Here, listen." She sings a few notes and then a thousand echoes are sung back. "You try" she says. I whistle four notes and then the birds play it back to us. "Okay so we'll use that to signal we're okay" she says. She and I nod and she wraps her arms around my waist. She steps back and I say, "I'll see you for supper." We share a smile then I start walking to the Careers' stock pile.  
I crouch in the bushes and watch for the Careers to see the smoke of Rue's fire. A few of them stand and point into the trees. They leave a scrawny boy with a spear to guard their pile and run toward the smoke.  
I watch for another second before starting to stand. I quickly suck back down when Foxface darts out of the tree line toward the pile. She jumps around all of the mines quickly, tilting her feet to feet in between them. She makes to the pile in one piece and grabs a bag. Then she jumps back across the mines and runs into the trees. Once I see it's clear I search the pile for a way to blow it up. My eyes stop on a bag of apples hanging over the side of the boxes above the mines. I check to see if it's clear, and it is, so I stand and step just slightly outside of the trees. I notch and arrow in my bow and pull it back to my chin. I aim for the bag of apples and let go. It slices part of the bag but nothing happens. I step forward a little more and notch another arrow in my bow. I pull it back and this time I take a minute to aim right. I take a deep breath and let the arrow go. It slices the bottom of the bag and the apples fall out, bouncing off boxes until they hit the mines.  
The force of the explosion sends be flying back ward and I hit the grass. A loud ringing sounds through both ears. I turn and look at the exploded boxes of food. The boy they set as guard walks to the pile of food, surprised. Cato and the others walk back to their base and see the food is gone. I can't hear what is being said, but Cato snaps the boy's neck. I turn and run back into the bushes.  
My hearing comes back as I stop by the wood piles. The last two aren't lit. I whistle the four notes and the Mockingjays sing it back all throughout the trees. Then when they stop, it's quiet. Rue isn't responding to the whistle. I whistle again. Nothing. "Mia! Mia!" I hear Rue scream my name from close by. I run toward her voice and see she's pinned under a net. She squirms under it but can't get free. She sees me. "Mia! Mia, help me!" she screams. I run to her and pull my knife out. I start cutting the net and soon she's free. She stands and we hug. "It's okay, you're okay" I say. We break away and she looks over my shoulder and gasps. I turn in time to duck a spear thrown from Marvel. I quickly pull out and arrow and send it through his neck. He falls backward and I turn back to Rue. She pulls the spear from her stomach and falls backward. I catch her and set her head on my knees. I zip up her jacket, but I know it won't stop the bleeding. Tears sting my eyes, threatening to pour over. But I don't cry. I don't want her last moments to be sad. "Did you blow up the food?" she asks, quietly. I nod unable to speak. A hard lump grows in my throat. "Good," she says. "Can you sing?" I nod and clear my throat.  
**_"Deep in the meadow, under the willow. A bed of grass, a soft green pillow. Lay down your head,"_**  
her eyes start to close.  
**_"And close your sleepy eyes. Tomorrow morning, the sun will rise.  
Here it's safe. Here it's warm. Here the daisies guard you from every harm.  
This is the place where I Love You."_  
**I look down at her and her eyes are closed. She's gone. I lay her head in the grass and stand. I walk around and pick all the daisies I can find. I slowly start to build a border of daisies around her body. I find some purple and red flowers and make a bouquet. I kneel beside her and put the flowers in her hands and lay them on her chest. I stand and look into a camera on a tree. I put three fingers to my lips then holds them up In the air, saying thank you to District 11 for Rue's sacrifice. **

**I sit by a fallen tree sobbing my eyes out. I had no blood relation to Rue, but it felt like she was my family. And now she's gone. Her sacrifice won't be in vain. But right now I can't think, all I can do is cry and feel the pain of my broken heart in my chest. "Attention, Tributes, Attention. There has been a slight rule change," a voice comes over the arena. I stop crying and listen. "Now, there can be two winners if they are from the same district." The voice cuts out and my mind automatically thinks of Dillon. If he's still alive we could both go home. Rue's death won't be in vain.  
I stand and think of where Rue said he was. **_"He's at the river"_** Rue's little voice speaks in my head. I remember where it is and run in that direction. Then suddenly something hits me and nocks me to the ground. I roll over and see Clove on the ground a foot away from me and my bow and arrows a foot or two away from us. We both look at each other then at the bow. I jump for the bow but she pulls at me and climbs over me. she grabs the bow and arrows and we stand at the same time she smirks evilly then, before I can move, she shoots me in my left shoulder with an arrow. It pierces my flesh and I cry out. I fall to my hands and knees. Blood runs down the inside of my sleeve. My vision blurs and then goes black. **

**My eyelids feel heavy as they flutter open to a black ceiling. I look to my right and left and see I'm in a cave. My hand goes to my shoulder expecting an arrow but it's not there. It's replaced by a bandage. My head hurts like I've been drugged and my shoulder hurts like crazy, a searing fire threatening to burn me alive. I sit up slightly so I can see the rest of the cave. A girl sits across from me. at first I think it's Clove, but I squint and see it's Foxface. **_**Why would Foxface help me? and how did we get away from Clove?**_** She blinks at me and her face says she's afraid. "Where am I?" I croak, my throat dry and soar. She hesitates to answer me. "A cave" she says, just loud enough to hear. It's obvious I scare her. "How long have I been out?" I ask. She looks down and plays with her shoe. "four days" she says. I push myself up so I sit up completely. "Why did you help me?" I ask. **

"**I didn't" she says, looking up at me. **

"**Who did?" I ask. **

"**Dillon, the boy from your District. He got you hear and made a deal with me to help heal you" she explains. Then a memory flashes into my vision.  
**_Dillon laid me down and Foxface came in the cave. They said things to each other but I didn't hear them. She knelt beside me and put one hand on my shoulder next to the arrow, and the other on the arrow. she pulled and the arrow came out as I screamed from the shooting pain in my shoulder  
_**my vision comes back and I see Foxface eyeing me in the cave. "Thank you" I say. She stays quiet. I look out the cave entrance and see it's barely raining. We sit like that for a while. "He went to go find food" Foxface says suddenly. I look at her and raise my eyebrow, meaning I don't understand. "Dillon" she clarifies. Just then, he walks in completely drenched carrying berries using the bottom of his coat. "You're awake" he says, looking at me. he walks past me and takes off his jacket careful not to spill the berries. He puts his coat down and kneels beside me. "Foxface said you probably wouldn't make it through last night," he turns and gives her a look. She shrugs and he turns back to me. "You're lucky to be alive." **

"**For now" Foxface says. He sighs. "Clove must've poisoned your wound before I got there. Foxface says she used a flower" he says. **

"**Amber Lilly?" I ask. He nods grimly. Amber Lilly is a deadly flower if eaten or its pollen in your blood stream. It's like if you cut yourself on a rusty nail, you'll get Tetanus without the proper care. Well, with Amber Lilly, your organs start to shut down one at a time until your heart either gives out or is shut down. It's an extremely painful way to die, or so I've heard. The poison made from it's crushed petals and pollen is called **_**Ambercus**_**. If your allergic to lilies you'll die faster, but I'm not.  
I look out at the trees through the cave entrance. I was asleep for four days, which means I have an estimated six days before the **_**Ambercus**_** reaches my heart. Six days to live and then it's all over. I want to see Rory before I die. I want to have a family before I die. there are so many things I want to do that I'll never have the chance to experience. I feel like crying. Escaping all of this and crying. I want to wake up and realize it was all a dream. I imagine how Rory must feel. If he isn't watching now, word will have spread through the District by now, and he'll have to watch. To see me before I die.  
"Foxface says the Capitol might have a cure, though" Dillon says, snapping me out of my trance. I settle my eyes on his as he talks. "She says it's possible." **

"**But not likely" Foxface says. My gaze flickers to her and back. "How is your shoulder feeling?" he asks, lightly touching above the bandage. **

"**Alright" I say, wondering why he's **_**touching me**_**. **

"**How did you get tangled with Clove, anyway?" he asks, removing his hand from my shoulder. **

"**I was coming to find you, when she jumped out at me…" I say, my voice trailing off as I suddenly feel nauseous. **

"**That's funny because I was actually coming to find you" he says. Our eyes meet and I don't feel nauseous anymore. "you were?" I ask. He nods and says, "Yeah, I was." Foxface pretends to gag and it makes me look at her. She freezes and looks at me. I narrow my eyes and she goes silent. **_**If looks could kill**_**….  
"Easy Mia," Dillon says, making me look back at him instead of at her. "You're not in any position to kill her. Besides, she's done a lot for you." Another reason I hate this situation. I owe her something now, my life. And we're in **_**the Hunger Games**_**, so that makes it worse. I sigh and look at the rain pour down outside the cave.  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Lost, Episode 9: The **_**Ambercus**_** Starts to take its Toll**

**In the **Arena**, no matter if you were born with them or not, you have **_**Fight **_**or **_**Flight**_** instincts that kick in after the initial horror of it all. **_I _**was born with them. And right now, being cooped up in a small, dirty cave, makes me want to use the **_**Flight**_** part. Even though I'm too tired physically, mentally I want to move. It's not safe to stay in one place too long. But, as Dillon says, I'm in no shape to move. I hate it when he's right.  
I feel a pinch in my shoulder when I sit up. It's still pouring down rain outside, and the occasional flash of lightning and boom of thunder vibrates the cave. Now it's Foxface that is absent this morning when I'm awake. "G'morning" Dillon says, casually looking at me to my right. I don't say anything. What am I supposed to say?**_ Good Morning, thanks for hanging around for day six of my poison-laden death!_** He stands and walks to me. He kneels to my left and gently peels back the layers of bandage on my shoulder. "Foxface was supposed to replace this, but you freak her out too much" he says, with a slight smile. I wince from the pinch of the cold wind on my raw flesh. He grabs my pack from across the cave and drops it beside him as he kneels again. He opens it up and rummages through it. The cold air bites and claws at my skin that was covered by the old bandage, making me uncomfortable and squeamish. Like when your hands are full and you have an ear-itch. Dillon puts some of the Capitol's medicine on the newly-sealed-hole in my shoulder and covers it in a new bandage and wrap. "Where'd you get all that stuff?" I ask. **

"**Sponsors. When you were out for four days" he says, closing up the pack. A thought crosses my mind and I feel like a jerk for wanting to ask, but I do anyway. "Why are you still here?" I ask. He pauses for a second then swivels to face me. "I mean, you could have left, but you haven't." I try to make it sound like I'm not telling him to leave, I don't want him to. I made it sound more rude than in my mind. "Remember the interviews?" he asks. I nod and he continues. "And I said I liked a girl from my District, and it was you?" I just nod, trying to get him to get to the answer. "I've stayed because I'm sorry. For being such a jerk to you after you were a great friend to me. For not telling you how I really felt. For not understanding what telling someone how you feel really means. And for not being there for you when Hunter died." I just stare, blinking. **_**Did he really just tell me all of that? Or are the hallucinations starting?**_** "I'm sorry, Mia," he says. "I should've gone to you and told you-"**

"**You don't have to apologize" I say. Even though that's all I've wanted from him for two years. An **_**Apology**_**. "Yes I do," he says. "I should've manned up and told you I felt the same way about you." He **_what_**? He feels the same way? Or at least felt the same way…but he said he had a crush on me in the interviews. He could still feel the same way. But what does it matter? We're both not gonna make it out alive, so what's the point?  
**_"Why not tell him you still feel the same way you did two years ago?"_** a voice booms in my head. It's my voice being thrown back at me.  
**_**Because, I don't**_**.  
**_"Yes you do."_**  
**_**no, I don't**_**.  
**_"Tell him!"_**  
**_**No! **_**  
I shake the voice from my head. I just admitted to myself I do feel the same way. I'm going to die anyway, why not? "Do you still feel that way about me?" he asks. I bite my lip hard and force myself to speak up. "Y-yes…do you?" I ask barley loud enough to hear. My nerves are hard to control and I fight the urge to start shaking with excitement. Now I'll know the truth. He leans forward and gently presses his lips to mine with a hand on my left cheek. A fire long suppressed comes to light, and the old embers in my heart start to burn a roaring fire. I kiss him back and I find myself wanting more than just a kiss. I want a relationship and a family and a life with him I never imagined having until now. But I remind myself I won't live to see it and pull away, looking away and blushing. He stands and walks back to where he was before, in the corner of the cave, being silent.  
Suddenly I roll over and retch and a sharp pain shoots through my abdomen. I retch again, this time, blood comes up instead. Blood covers my lips and chin. Something is going on inside me, and whatever it is it's not good. The **_**Ambercus**_** must be shutting something down. I stop retching and sit up. I wipe the blood from my face with my sleeve. I hadn't noticed it before, but Dillon had sat beside me while I was retching, holding my braid out of the way. He drops my braid and looks me over. "You're pale" he says. He feels my forehead with the back of his hand then pulls it away. "I'm going to die, of course I'm pale" I snap. I didn't mean to come off so angry, at least not toward him. "You're not gonna die."**

"**Yes, I am. Once it's in my system that's it, and I'd say it's in my system." I feel a burning in my nose then warmth spreading to just above my lips. I feel just under my nose and look at my hand. Blood.  
I almost laugh. Now I'm bleeding inside and out. I might just die sooner than I thought. At least that way I won't suffer…much. Now I laugh a short, mocking laugh as I stare at my blood on the tips of my fingers. "Isn't this ironic," my voice is barely controllable. "My brother dies in the Games, and now I will. I wonder if Rory's next." I must be delusional to have said that out loud. My head feels lighter than air. I can't stop staring at my bloodied fingers. I'm going to die an insane, lost girl in a Game that makes children fight to the death. How embarrassing. "Don't talk like that." **

"'**cause that's so easy." **

"**Yeah it is easy." **

"**I think I'm gonna pass out" I say. The cave is spinning and my eyes close by themselves. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Lost, Episode 10: The Spark**

**I must be some sight to those at home. I'm as whit as snow, blood crusted under my nose, unable to move or speak, constant pains rupturing through my body like lightning, and to top it all off I vomit blood every hour or so.  
Everyone has different experiences with **_**Ambercus**_**. I guess mine is I'll retch all of my blood out of my body before I die. Pretty gross.  
Dillon refuses to leave, no matter what I say. I don't want him to watch me die, but he won't listen. And now I can't even talk because my vocal cords have become non-existent.  
I stare up at the dark ceiling of the cave. I have a gut feeling today is the day. My breath hitches every time I breathe in.  
**_**"Attention Tributes, Attention. Due to multiple sponsors and hours of debate, there has been an alteration to the Game Rules. Now no one is allowed to die unless inflicted directly by another tribute. Therefore, Mia Wood will be pulled out of the arena and replaced,"**_**  
I sit up at the sound of my name. Dillon stares at me, wide-eyed from across the cave. That can't be right. It **_can't_** be. Not that I want to die, but I'm not leaving Dillon in here alone.  
**_**"There will be an extraction at the Cornucopia tomorrow morning. If there is an attempted sabotage, that will result in immediate dismissal. May the odds be ever in your favor…"**_**  
they must know I'm going to die, and they can't have that, that doesn't make for good Television. I have to be murdered like my brother, which makes it more dramatic. And I'll be replaced…by whom? This is crazy. "I told you you weren't going to die" Dillon says, sitting down next to me. He must read the terror on my face because his smile falls. I mouth, "**I'm not leaving you in here**." **

"**I don't see how you have a choice. People pulled together who knows how much money so you could get out. That's never happened before, Mia." **

"What about you?**" **

"**I'll manage" he says. I shake my head and look down at my hands. My eyes sting and I blink back tears. How could this happen? They'd never let this happen…so who allowed it? I push myself up along the wall of the cave and stand. I stumble across the cave to my bow and sheath of arrows. "What are you doing?" I pull on the arrows on my back and pick up the bow. I turn to see Dillon staring at me. "**I'm not going out this way**," I mouth. "**I won't**." before he can stop me I stumble out of the cave into the open air. **

**I stumble from tree to tree, until I reach an open break in the trees. My head throbs and my shoulder is on fire, but I don't stop. I find Ivy on a nearby tree and pull it all off—as much as I can reach—then stumble to another tree and pull off more ivy.  
I drop it all in the open spot and start rearranging it. I form a large circle then I pull a vine threw the middle. I make my best attempt at a bird to hold the arrow in the middle, and then form its wings and tail. Once I finish, I start and small fire with some of my matches and wood. I pull out an arrow from my sheath and tightly wrap vines around the tip to cover the silver. I notch the arrow in my bow and dip the arrowhead into the fire. It catches a spark and lights the vines ablaze. I pull the arrow back with all the muscle I still have usable and aim for the corner of my vine-depiction. I let the arrow go and it sticks in the ground on an Ivy vine, setting the rest of the vines on fire. Dillon stands next to me as I watch the vine light up. I said I wasn't going out like this. Well, I think I just changed the game. I've created a burning Mockingjay, like the Mockingjay pin Cinna snuck onto my jacket. But on fire. After a few minutes it starts down pouring rain fast and hard, putting out the flaming bird. How convenient. The rain stops after the fire is out completely. One last thing I have to do. For Rue. I whistle as best I can the four notes. The Mockingjay's pick it up almost immediately. This is my big finish. This is me saying I'm more than just a piece in their games. This is my **_**Rebellion**_**. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Lost, Epilogue. **

_**I wake up to a scream that hurts my ears. I'm in a place I don't know, a place I've never seen. I lay in a bed in plush blankets. I realize the scream was mine. There's a dresser to the left of the bed, a door in front of it, and a bathroom to the right of it. The door in front opens and someone walks in. "Thank god, you're awake." That voice…its Rory. How is Rory here? He sits on the bed beside me and envelopes me in a hug. Tears fall from my eyes and a sob chokes out. He strokes my back and whispers, "It's okay, your home." Home. Where is home? I feel something at my feet and pull away to look. Kay lays next to my feet and she perks up, head cocked to the side. I really am home. "Where are we?" I ask. **_

"_**A house in the Victor's Village."**_

"_**Victor's Village? I didn't win." **_

"_**Well, everyone ended up killing each other…so you're the only one that came out alive. They've claimed you the Victor" he says, sorrow deep within his eyes. **_

"_**But…Dillon…did he-" I'm cut off by a short shake of his head. I fall into his sobbing so hard I'm shaking. "I'm really sorry, Mia." I hear Kay whimpering. I pull away and wipe at my eyes. I push my blankets off and swing my legs off the bed. I stand up and my knees give out. My knees hit the wooden floor and I feel a pair of arms around me. They pull me up to my feet. Rory looks down at me and says, "You shouldn't be walking around yet." **_

"_**I need to" I say. I take careful steps out of the room and down a hallway. The hallway opens into a large living area with a kitchen to the left. I stumble to a window and look outside. It's fall. I went into the Games in the summer. I was asleep a long time. Too long. But I'm still alive. And the Capitol will be nothing when I'm done with it. I don't care Snow tries to fool me with his words and manipulated threats…he will die. **_

_**This is my legacy. This is my new start, my one chance. This…is my Rebellion. **_


End file.
